Changing fork seals: 1982 GS1100GL

[Guest]

so far I have replaced the starter, tach oil seal, valve cover gasket, half moons, intake manifolds, sealed the airbox, replaced intake o rings, and probably about 23 other things i forgot about. I was hoping to take a nice ride without any problems for once. I got about 50 miles from my house and noticed the fork seals spitting on me. Im getting a little bit ****ed. Does anyone have the procedure for changing the fork seals on a pdf somewhere?

also theres a bottom oil leak. I dont think its coming from the oil pan gasket. looks to be the shift shaft area or maybe the driveshaft boot area? what are the usual suspects?

[chef1366]

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/fork_seal_replacement_by_matchless.pdf

[lordcannon88]

thank you much chef...im assuming the procedure is the same for the 1000 and 1100? also other than using thicker oil, what can be done to stiffen up the front end?

[chef1366]

Stiffen? Use 10 wt or add preload to the springs.
I'd go with the 15wt myself. I recommend Bel-Ray brand.
Get some Progressive fork springs. Great upgrade!

[Steve]

If you choose to go with the Progressive springs, note that you will no longer need to add air to the forks.

.

[Don-lo]

Do you have 15 psi in the forks now? Lack of pressure in the forks is the first thing that causes leaks at the seal (with stock seals). If you have an air compressor, run it up or down to 15 psi, then do both forks twice (the first time may be compressing one side more because it is lifting the entire bike). This is the easiest and most reliable way to equalize the forks.

Leaks on the left rear of the motor would likely be the shift shaft seal or the countershaft seal.

[lordcannon88]

Yes the forks have pressure. the leak isnt horrid yet but im not gonna chance a bent axle. also i thought adding a thinker weight of oil IE. 20W would make the forks stiffer, because isnt the higher the number the thicker the oil? also where does everyone recommend getting new seals? finally, how would I go about adding preload?

[twr1776]

I also highly recommend putting in the new Progressive springs while you have the forks apart. I think it is a basic safety upgrade that MUST be done to replace the 25+ year old fork springs that were not very good even when new. These are the springs you will need. Part # 11-1107

http://www.progressivesuspension.com/prodSearchResults.aspx?yearID=1982&makeID=45&modelID=840

also where does everyone recommend getting new seals?

You can get new OEM seals from your dealer, Flatout, Bike Bandit, etc. Leak Proof also makes seal & wiper kits for your bike as well. I have used the Pro-Moly seal and wiper kits with good results although not everyone here is a fan of them.

finally, how would I go about adding preload?

On page 2 of Matchless's tutorial it shows the OEM spacer. You can use an additional spacer on top of it to increase the pre-load. The new Progressives come with the spacers and an additional washer for installation since they are shorter than the OEM springs. I used 15 WT fork oil and approx 1 1/4" spacer on top of the OEM spacer. Once you get the forks back in you can adjust the pre-load to your weight and riding style if needed.

[82Shafty]

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=133086&highlight=11-1108

11-1108.

I ran the 1107's and had to use a 6.5'' spacer in the fork to achieve proper ride height.

The bike still rides great, but if I had known ahead of time, I would have gone with the 1108's.

Progressives are a must. I have done two 1100GLZ's so far and it made a huge difference on both of them.

This was my original write up:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=119871&page=2

[chef1366]

You're right. The 20wt would be thicker.
That would be too thick in my opinion. The 15 will be fine. Adjust the preload to make the front suspension stiffer OR just get the Progressive.

[Don-lo]

Check your fork surface very carefully too. Any pitting across the seal travel area will slice up your new seals too.